1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopaedic reamers, and, more particularly, to orthopaedic reamer handles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hip replacement surgery is a common orthopaedic procedure that is performed when a patient's cartilage in the acetabulum joint of the hip has been damaged or destroyed, leading to bone-on-bone contact between the femoral head and the hip. The bone-on-bone contact leads to the formation of arthritic bone and cartilage, which must be removed prior to inserting the hip implant. To remove arthritic bone and cartilage, as well as create a good contact surface for installation of an acetabular cup, an acetabular reamer is used. Most acetabular reamers have a reamer head with a spherical shape and openings formed throughout the surface of the reamer head, much like a cheese grater. The reamer head is connected to a rotary driver, such as a drill, by a drive train within the reamer, and removes the diseased bone and cartilage as it spins within the acetabulum. Orthopaedic reamers are also used in other joints of the body, such as the glenohumeral joint.
Orthopaedic reamers include a handle that the user can hold on to during operation. The handle can be an integral part of the reamer or be a separable piece. Since the handle typically extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the drive train, a separable handle allows for the storage size of the orthopaedic reamer to be reduced. A separable handle can also allow for easier cleaning of the orthopaedic reamer. However, separating the handle from the rest of the orthopaedic reamer can be a time-consuming process.
What is needed in the art is an orthopaedic reamer with a handle that can quickly separate from the rest of the reamer.